A developing machine for photographic material.



Feb. 18, 1964 H. BERGER ETAL 3 2 DEVELOPING MACHINE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 7

INVENTORS HE/NZ BERGER, ROLF SCHM/DZ'HLDZ'GARD SCHA/O'R/NG ATTORNE Y5 Feb. 18, 1964 H. BERGER ETAL 3,121,382

DEVELOPING MACHINE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIIZINTORSJ HE/NZ BERGER, ROLF SCHM/DT,H/LDEGARD SCH/VORl/VG ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,121,382 DEVELUPHNG MACHINE FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL Heinz Berger, Leverkusen, Rolf Schmidt, Cologne-Stammheim, and Hildegard Schniiring, Leverkusen, Germany, assignors to Agfa Aktiengeselischaft, Leverkusen, Germany, a corporation of Germany Fiied Dec. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 359,599 tCiaims priority, application Germany Dec. 17, 1958 1 Claim. (Cl. 9594) This invention relates to a developing machine for photographic material in strip or out form, in which the material is conveyed through the different photochemical processing baths in known manner by means of a conveyor belt or chain.

When photographic material is processed in the usual manner in machines of the aforementioned type there is a non-uniform and also a very slow exchange of the processing baths with the subsequent baths or subsequent rinses, especially in the case of photographic material having an absorbent support, such as paper. The individual chemical processes, for example the development and/ or the fixing, may also take place with delay and/ or non-uniformly, due to the slow penetration of the processing liquids into the emulsion layers.

It has now been found that the aforementioned defects can be obviated by moving the photographic material transversely of the direction of travel thereof.

According to the present invention therefore there is now provided a developing machine for photographic material in strip or cut form in which the material is conveyed through the different photographic processing baths by means of a conveyor belt or chain, wherein the photographic material is moved transversely of the direction of travel thereof.

The photographic material is preferably moved with a jerky movement.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view partially in section of an apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention using photographic material in out form, and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view partially in section of an apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the invention using photographic material in strip form.

A preferred form of construction of a conveyor chain for a developing machine in accordance with the present invention is shown by way of example in FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings, in which 1 represents an endless conveyor chain, 2 attached photographic papers, 3 a liquid tank, t a toothed spindle acting as impulse emitter and a chain sprocket wheel.

A preferred form of construction of a conveyor belt for a developing machine in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGURE 2 of the accompanying drawings, wherein it represents a conveyor belt, 2 a roll of photographic paper driven thereby, 3 a liquid tank, 4 an eccentric acting as impulse emitter and 5 a driving roller for the conveyor belt.

With the arrangement shown in FIGURE 1, it has been found that the sheets of paper can be suspended so close together on the chain 1 that two or three papers overlap without giving rise to any processing errors. A machine not provided with an impulse emitter and operating under otherwise absolutely identical conditions produces 95% rejects when the sheets of paper are suspended so close together that two or three papers overlap.

Referring to FIG. 1, the conveyor belt 1 made up of a series of chain links to form an endless conveyor chain is rotated in counterclockwise fashion by means of the chain sprocket wheel 5 whereby the photographic papers 2 attached to respective links of chain 1 may pivot a certain degree about an axis transverse the moving direction of the chain. The photographic papers 2 travelling upwardly in the right tank 3 as viewed in FIG. 1 are situated so that their lower edges will make contact with the top edge of right tank 3 adjacent thereto. Because of the grooves provided in chain sprocket wheel 5, the innermost portion of papers 2 will abut against the adjacent grooved portion at the same time the outermost edge will abut said top edge of right tank 3. After the outermost edge of paper 2 moves past the top edge of right tank 3 the photographic paper 2 will be outwardly urged by a certain spring action caused by the return to normal disposition of paper 2. Up to this point paper 2 was held under slight tension due to the inward pressure applied to the outermost edge of paper 2 by the top edge of right tank 3 coupled with the outward pressure caused by the adjacent groove of chain sprocket wheel 5. As the paper 2 passes about chain sprocket wheel 5, the outermost portion thereof will contact the upper edge of the left tank 3 as viewed in FIG. 1. As the links of chain 1 move downwardly through the left tank 3, the link ends abut the upper edges of a toothed spindle 4 in turn such that the particular link travels downwardly and outwardly along the top surface of each tooth and thence back to its original plane of travel whereby the same abuts the next tooth in the series and is caused to be displaced downwardly and outwardly along the top surface of the tooth. As a consequence of the outermost portion of each photographic paper 2 making contact with the top edge of right tank 3 and thereafter springing outwardly, making contact with the top edge of left tank 3 and thereafter sliding therealong while the chain itself is outwardly and downwardly urged upon abutting contact with the various teeth of spindle 4, the desirable jerking and tapping action of the papers 2 is accomplished so that any film of liquid present thereon will be impulsively broken and the liquid particles drained therefrom.

With respect to FIG. 2, the roll of photographic paper 2' is carried by the conveyor belt 1 in counterclockwise direction about driving roller 5 so that the paper 2 and conveyor belt 1' move in the direction as shown by the arrows first through the right tank 3' and thence through the left tank 3. As shown in the drawing, an eccentric 4 is mounted for rotation in the same direction as driving roller 5' so that the outermost edges of eccentric 4 will intermittently strike belt 1' and in turn paper roll 2 to jar the same and shake therefrom any attendant liquid film or droplets.

It will be appreciated that paper roll 2' is carried by belt 1 by the friction contact between their two abutting surfaces. Since both roll 2 and belt 1' are mounted in double-ply fashion for movement over the various roll-er loops (see FIGURE 2), these elements will be retained in suitable friction contact with respect to one another.

Example With a developing machine provided with an impulse emitter, and using a picture format of 13 x 18 cm., the distance from the leading edge of one sheet to that of the next is about 5.0 cm. Thus, 32 pictures can be arranged over a length of about cm.

Using a developing machine of the same size without an impulse emitter, the spacing required is approximately 18 cm., so that only 10 pictures can be arranged over a distance of 180 cm.

The capacity of the machine fitted with the impulse emitter is therefore three times that of a similar machine not provided with an impulse emitter.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 2, which has proved especially suitable for bath developing machines, is for 3 example able to reduce the residence time in the rinsing tanks by more than 20% without detracting from the rinsing quality.

The liquid film on the surface of the material being processed is readily detached therefrom as a result of the transverse and preferably jerky movement imparted to the material being processed. Past experience has shown that up to now this film could only be removed with great difliculty. The removal of the liquid film enables the baths required for the further processing of the material and also the washing water to penetrate more quickly into the emulsion layer which results in a more rapid and more uniform processing of the material.

What is claimed is:

Apparatus for automatically developing photographic material in cut form which comprises container means for the different photographic processing baths, an endless conveyor chain mounted for movement along a path of travel through the different photographic processing baths, such that when moving from one bath to the next a portion of the path of travel is out of contact with any one of the baths, said conveyor chain having means for pivotally mounting photographic material in out form along a transverse axis of pivot with respect to the path of travel of said conveyor chain, and intermitter unilateral transverse impulse displacing means mounted adjacent to said conveyor chain along the portion of said path of travel out of 4, contact with any of the baths, said displacing means including at least one projection means slanted in the direction of travel of said conveyor chain and extending through the plane of the normal path of travel of said conveyor chain for abuttingly contacting the links of said chain and in turn intermittently transversely displacing said conveyor chain out of the plane of its normal path of travel along the extent of said projection means and thereafter abruptly permitting the return of said conveyor chain back to its normal path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,583,287 Fisher May 4, 1926 2,036,442 Tanatar Apr. 7, 1936 2,542,830 Newton et al Feb. 20, 1951 2,755,205 Robb et al July 17, 1956 2,762,763 Kenmore et al Sept. 11, 1956 2,792,224 White May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 167,072 Germany Sept. 1, 1904 249,392 Switzerland June 30, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,021,716, printed Dec. 27, 1957.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, l2l 382 February 18 1964 Heinz Berger et all,

r appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that erro s Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that the said Letter corrected below.

Column 3 line 25 for "'intermitter" read inter mittent -a Signed and sealed this 23rd day of June 1964e Commissioner of Patents ERNEST W; SWIDER Aitesting Officer 

